Yin Yang fish

Yin yang fish (Chinese: 陰陽魚, 糖醋活魚, 呼叫魚; also called dead-and-alive fish) is a Taiwanese dish where a live fish is fried whole. The dish originates from Chiayi, Taiwan.^[1][2]

Preparation

Yin yang fish is prepared by wrapping the head of a scaled fish (usually carp) in ice cubes and then oil-frying it whole. The fish is then covered in sauce and served on a plate where its head continues to twitch even after its body has been cooked (likely due to remnant electrical impulses after death).^[2][3][4][5]

Controversy

In 2007, a Taiwanese restaurant owner sparked outrage when he began serving the dish in his restaurant in Chiayi, Taiwan, with a city official and members of the public criticizing the cruelty of the dish.^[6] Following public outcry, the dish was subsequently removed from the menu and banned in Taiwan.^[7][2]

A video of a dish in 2009 was condemned by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals calling a video showcasing it as "disgusting".^[8] A video posted on TikTok in March 2020 had been viewed three million times as of May 2021.^[9]

See also

• Cruelty to animals
• Eating live seafood
• Odorigui, Japanese cuisine where the consumption of live seafood while it is still moving
• Ikizukuri, live fish served as sashimi in Japanese cuisine